Oilers respond to Game 2 loss with dominant 6-1 performance in first matchup in Los Angeles
By baggedmilk
7 days agoDespite the heartbreak of Wednesday’s Game 2 loss, the Oilers showed up in a huge way with a 6-1 victory in Los Angeles. As the series shifted to L.A. for Games 3 and 4, the Oilers, fueled by a deep-rooted hatred for the Kings, demonstrated their ability to take total control of the game.
STUART SKINNER WAS FANTASTIC
On Wednesday night, plagued by a rough night back in Edmonton, all eyes were on Stuart Skinner to see how he’d respond. While some folks thought Skinner could not get it together, many of us thought Stu was going to find a way. What was most interesting to me, however, was that many Oilers fans questioned whether or not he would be able to get the job done.
In Game 3, Skinner was everything the Oilers needed him to be. He stopped the shot 27 of 28 shots and finished with a .964 save%, effectively erasing the tough scene he found himself after Wednesday’s OT loss. Not only was Skinner calm between the pipes, but he also made the saves the Oilers needed to erase any errors that came up and coast their way to a dominant 6-1 win. It was the exact response game that the boys needed from their goaltender, and I can only imagine that confidence will carry over into Game 4 on Sunday. Dare to dream? I do.
DOMINANCE BY THE AWAY SIDE
I don’t think I’m talking out of school when I say that the Oilers were the better team all night long. You could point to the fact that our boys outshot the Kings by a 40-28 margin, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Oilers were not only the better team but there were very few minutes when the Kings were actually to keep up. From my side of the laptop screen, our boys were dominant.
Not only did the Oilers get out to an early lead, but they also removed the spirit most Kings fans had as they watched their team get stomped. If anything, it may have been the most dominating performance that I’ve ever seen against at a team that is supposedly able to lock in the trap. If anything, that was the kind of night that not only Stu needed but the rest of us needed as well. Right from the jump, the Oilers were banging, crashing, firing shots, and controlling the play in a way that we knew they could.
Outside of a few blips here and there, the Kings had no answers defensively, and that’s pretty hilarious given how playing hard D is supposed to be their thing. The trap wasn’t effective, the forwards couldn’t do much with the puck, and our boys had extended periods where the Kings were locked in their own zone without being able to do much about it. It was total dominance.
CRYPTO.COM ARENA
For the third straight season, being at Crypto.com Arena has been an intense experience. Kings fans can be a rambunctious bunch, and many of them were not exactly shy about letting us have it for wearing Oilers jerseys. Of course, there are also a bunch of great Kings fans — we met some who were fascinated that we travelled to L.A. for the game — and it’s always interesting to experience the range of fandom when coming to playoff games behind enemy lines.
The good news is that there were also a tonne of Oilers fans down here. One thing we know all too well is that we travel incredibly well as a fanbase, and that fact was on full display in Game 3. There were blue and orange jerseys everywhere, and it was truly beautiful to witness. I love Oilers fans so damned much, and seeing so many of us down here to support the boys was amazing. Obviously, I don’t think many of us expected the team to run the table the way they did, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive that they did. Frankly, watching a win like that was as close to magic as you can get.
OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING…
-All Zach Hyman does is score goals. Toss another pair on the pile for the 50-goal man.
-I love the way Evander Kane played even without the goal he scored. He was physical, he was mouthing off, and it’s huge for the Oilers if he can keep himself going. Overall, he was fantastic and I loved to see it.
-You have to love the way Connor McDavid took over the game, am I right? Despite only playing 18:52 in TOI, McDavid registered a goal and two assists, effectively silencing the arena and putting the Kings down and out before they were even able to get started. The Kings were hopeless against him, and it was the kind of game we needed from the captain.
-How about my man, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, picking up a casual three-point night. No one will admit he was fantastic, but I certainly will. This was the kind of game we needed from RNH if the boys are going to win the series.
-I love Banjo Guy. He’s so nice and friendly, and I felt as though he needed a quick shout out.
-Digging into the special teams, the Oilers have been excellent on the power play and the PK through the first two games. In Game 3, the bots were just as dominant as they had been, finishing at 3-for-7 on the PP while killing off 5-of-5 shorthanded situations they faced.
-If I’m writing a recap article, you know I’m going to tell you that the Oilers won 50.8% of the faceoffs they took. Either way you know I’ll ne intervening as often as we can.
THE DAILY FACEOFF GAME
Hey, hockey heads! Get ready for The Daily Faceoff Playoff Parlay Challenge! Each game day, answer four playoff prediction questions like who will win the first game, will points be over or under or what will be the highest-scoring period? Daily winners snag gift cards, while each round’s champs pocket cash! Play now at games.dailyfaceoff.com and prove your puck prowess! It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s all about hockey! Let’s go! defeat the dragon. LFG
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